Penn community groups and cultural centers will host a variety of programming to honor the Class of 2026.
Each year, the groups hold their own celebrations — meant to serve as intimate gatherings in addition to the University-wide Commencement and school-specific ceremonies. From receptions to awards, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke to center leaders to learn how their communities are celebrating.
Penn Women’s Center will hold an open house on May 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for students to pick up graduation cords, enjoy refreshments, and sign up for the organization’s alumni list.
In an interview with the DP, PWC Director Elisa Foster clarified that students do not have to be affiliated with one of the center’s student groups to attend. She said the event was “open to anyone who supports the Women’s Center, feels a connection to us, and wants to represent during graduation.”
According to Foster, a celebration and award ceremony to honor students with close ties to the center will follow the open house. She said while Penn’s Commencement was “always a beautiful experience,” it is also “very big,” which is why PWC decided to honor those affiliated with the center for their specific contributions.
“We want them to know that the Women’s Center is a place for them to come back to as alumni,” Foster said. “Giving them an opportunity to pass the torch to students who are coming up, offering them resources to be able to connect with current students — that’s one thing that we hope they’ll come away with when they become alumni.”
The Pan-Asian American Community House will also host two events with members of the Asian American Studies Program to celebrate graduating students.
The groups are set to hold an “End of Year Family and Friends Reception” on May 18 at the ARCH. In a statement to the DP, PAACH Director Mei Long described the event as a way to “bring together graduating students, their families, and friends for a warm send-off from the Asian Pacific Islander community.”
“It is a heartwarming opportunity to celebrate our graduating students alongside the people who supported them throughout their Penn journey,” Long wrote. “These events are an important way for PAACH to celebrate students, express our gratitude, and strengthen the community.”
On April 28, PAACH and Asian American Studies Program held a celebration honoring student leaders who made significant contributions to the community this year.
The Penn Center for Hispanic Excellence — Casa Latina will host a “Celebrando y Brindando” event on May 17. The programming will include a ceremony at Zellerbach Theatre from 1-3 p.m., followed by a reception at Annenberg Plaza from 3-4:30 p.m.
Casa Latina Director Krista Cortes told the DP that the ceremony aims to “honor both the graduating students and their loved ones,” and that recipients will receive a medallion for their contributions. She added that the event will be “a bilingual ceremony” to be “as inclusive as possible for folks who may not be English-dominant.”
The event will include speeches from graduating students and feature performances by Penn’s Latinx music group Fuerza and its Latin dance troupe, Onda Latina.
“We add this opportunity to an already fully programmed weekend, but we do that in the hopes that it’s an opportunity for folks to pause and really allow this incredible accomplishment to sink in and feel like it is a space not just for the folks that are graduating, but for all of the people who have cheered them on along the way,” Cortes said.
Senior reporter Amy Liao covers clubs and societies and can be reached at liao@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow her on X @amyliiao.
